In manufacturing, shipping, storing, and other industries, warehouses are often used for storing pallets of goods. The pallets are typically stored on pallet racks or other stationary structural member having sufficient strength to carry heavy loads as well as being able to withstand loading and unloading of the pallets at different levels. Hand trucks, hand lifts, forklifts, and the like are typically used to transfer pallets from one location to another and to position the pallets on or below the pallet rack.
These transport machinery can sometimes contact or otherwise crash into the pallet racks as they are often awkward or difficult to maneuver within small spaces between pallet racks. Such accidents can cause severe damage to the pallet racks that would otherwise make the pallet racks unstable or unable to withstand loads thereon. Unless the accident is reported, there may not be any visual indication that the structural integrity of the structure has been compromised.
Powered machinery such as forklifts may include their own collision sensor, the valuables in a warehouse or business is often the goods stored therein or the structure itself. The collision sensor(s) on the powered machinery only provide an on-board warning, but does not indicate which structure within a building or the like has been contacted, so a manager or structural supervisor may not be able to determine which stationary structure was struck by the machinery.